


Love, demons and a shit ton of mayonnaise

by mayorozuya



Category: Gintama
Genre: All the basic kinky demon shit yall are thirsty for, Alternate Universe- Supernatural, And i mean fucking slow, Angst, Blood Bond, Demon!Gintoki x Police officer!Hijikata, Demons, Eventual Gintoki/Hijikata, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fiction, M/M, Marking, Modern AU, Multi, NSFW, No clapping cheeks till at least chap 15-20, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Hijikata/Mitsuba, Slow Burn, Switching, Yall will just have to wait, demon rituals, maybe not even then, summonings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-10-04
Packaged: 2020-07-27 11:02:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20044924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayorozuya/pseuds/mayorozuya
Summary: Its easier to run from your demons than embrace them, even if your demons cant run without complaining you're too fast for them.





	1. Time to play a game of imagination or reality

**Author's Note:**

> Hello sinners! 
> 
> Ya boi is finally getting their shit together and writing the ginhiji fic Ive teased you all about for the last few months on main. You're probably curious who the major character death will be but im afraid i cant ruin that for you, youll just have to read it to the very end and find out yourself. I aim to update at least once every week until September when my classes resume it may move to once every fortnight but for now, enjoy the weekly updates and let me know your thoughts and what you think will happen next in the comments.
> 
> Toshi c:
> 
> PS: I listened to Hypnotised and Flesh by Simon Curtis while writing this (I know my music taste is amazing)

_“Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” _  
_ ― Arthur C. Clarke_

He should run, shout, do _something_. 

Hell he shouldn't have even been there in the first place but here he was and now he couldn't get his damn legs to work.

It was raining, had been for weeks now, like god had suddenly decided to dump an oceans worth of content from the sky. Ugly dark coloured clouds closed off the sun, their mix of black and deep grey provided an ominous and suffocating ceiling above the city. The sun hadn't yet fallen but the alleyway was already enclosed in a curtain of darkness and for some reason, Hijikata Toushirou had decided to take this shortcut back to his apartment rather than taking the busier and arguably, safer streets. 

His broken umbrella lay at his feet, slowly rolling away into the overflowing gutter having slipped from his hand. Raindrops now left unhindered, dotted his jacket with patches of damp, the material steadily becoming soaked through. The long strands of his dark hair dripping rain water stuck to his face as he stared at the scene before him.

Blood. So much blood. He couldnt remember the last time he had seen this much blood.

Maybe that time Yamazaki accidentally ran into an open door and broke his nose?

No, not even then.

Nothing could even begin to compete with this. 

Even through the torrential rain the splatter of colour was visible, painting a picture of a life that had been stolen right there in front of his very eyes. Death was nothing new to him. He was a police officer after all, it was part of his line of work as well as his childhood, his teens and his nightmares. This case shouldn't have been any different but the bile rising in his throat, only held back by the unconscious fear of moving a single muscle, told him that it was.

A hooded man was crouched by the lifeless, deformed body, yet to notice he had an audience. He was lean and clad in dark coloured clothing; faded grey jeans and a black, long sleeved shirt accompanied by a pair of tattered looking boots. Had hijikata been walking by he would have assumed the man was a concerned citizen who by chance, had stumbled upon the body and was checking for any signs of life. But he was no savior. 

Finally realizing he wasn't alone, the crouching male turned his head, catching site of the new witness standing several feet away but at a clear enough distance to make out his features. With the jerk of movement that came with straightening his posture, the hood fell back to reveal a face smeared with the same dark red that stained the ground and slowly dripped down the walls.

As the raven haired male squinted through the rain, he could see the man was around the same age as him, late twenties at best. His chalky white hair hung messily over his face, strands matted together by rain and the blood trickling down his cheeks. Eyes the most extraordinary shade of crimson stared attentively at him as a lazy smile spread across those stained lips into an amused grin. It was almost sheepish the way he looked at him, as though he had been caught doing something mundane rather than the horrendous act he was sitting by. More of the scarlet liquid ran down the sides of that smiling mouth until a pale hand came up to wipe the stain away. The smile was fading now, this man knew exactly what he had been doing and now he had to deal with consequences.

Hijikata attempted to reason with himself, convince his brain that he hadn't just witnessed this man hunched over the twisted corpse, teeth buried deep in a shoulder with one hand holding the other firmly to the ground. This must be some kind of mistake. There was no fucking way that this...person, had been _eating _another human being like it was the most normal thing to do in the world!

The chunks of flesh hanging from the corpse said otherwise.

"Are you just going to stand there staring or are you going to call the police?" The man asked, his tone a mixture of curiosity and warning.

The voice was too playful, too friendly to match the situation at hand. The scarlet eyed man stood up, taking one last look at the body before sauntering towards Hijikata, his pace slow enough to taunt him further.

A single step closer, a second, then three.

He should have ran when he had the chance. His fight or flight response was screaming at him to get his shit together and get the hell out of there right now before it was too late but he couldn't. 

"Hello? Did you go into shock or something?"

The assailant stood in front of him now, not uncomfortably near, just close enough to cause the hairs on his skin to prickle and stand on end. The mans lazy stance may have been quite disarming but instinct knew better than to believe there was no threat at hand. Crimson eyes inquisitive as they flickered over Hijikata from top to bottom, confusion lighting those brightly coloured orbs as they came back to his face.

A light flickered at the end of the alley behind the man, reminding him that he had yet to take control of himself and get as far away from there as possible. He just couldn't seem to find it in himself to move. There was something too disconcerting about that calm, casual demeanor that shook him to his core. It wasn't natural for anyone to be that at ease with such carnage.

Then again, he was still there wasn't he.

"Oh I see, this must be awfully shocking for you right?" The lazy grin grew slightly, a complete contrast to the words coming from those blood stained lips. "Guess I should say sorry. No one was supposed to see this"

The bastard almost sounded apologetic, more so that Hijikata had witnessed what he had done rather than the act itself.

"No shit" He blurted out, his voice seeming to finally find its way back to this throat. 

"Ahhh so you can talk! And what a nice voice you have, say something else~"

"What..what the hell were you doi-"

"Oh that? I was just having dinner." The albino grinned, casually slipping his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "And before you say it, yes it was in poor taste but that was a joke. You should have seen the chase they had in them, I'm all worn out already".

How could he even respond to that?!

After almost a full minute of hijikatas lack of response, the red eyed man sighed and kicked at the umbrella that had made its way over to his feet before glancing up towards the sky, letting the raindrops trickle down his face to as if to wash the rest of the blood away. 

"I'm feeling lazy today so I'll make a deal with you" He spoke quicker this time, not giving Hijikata a chance to respond. "I really shouldn't let you live after what you saw today but-" The albino tossed back his head, flicking wet hair out of his eyes as he smirked. "If you can make it back to the street by the time I count to ten then you can continue with whatever boring life it is that you lead. If you arent able to do that..." The lazy grin returned "....I may have to do something about you"

Hijikata didn't react initially, half expecting the man to continue speaking and when he didn't, he finally mustered the courage to take a step back, shaking his head rapidly in protest as the other mans challenge to him sank in. "No wait-!"

Crimson orbs flashed along with the lightening above. "One.."

Hijikata was already nearing the corner before the word "two" had even begun to form on the white haired males tongue. He kept his pace even with his own countdown in his head as he sprinted down the narrow lane, almost losing his footing several times trying to avoid the monstrous puddles.

"Three!" The playful voice called, purposely louder to be heard over the booming thunder overhead.

"Motherfucker" Hijikata muttered angrily, feet picking up more speed over the cobbled ground.

_Four, Five.._

One corner down just one more to go. Hijikata ran like his life depended on it which given the circumstance, it most likely did.

He had never retreated from a fight or threat before. He always starred danger in the face even if it meant risking his life.

_Six, Seven..._

It seems there was a first time for everything.

_Eight, Nine.._

Finally the street was coming into his line of sight, the glimpse of street lights illuminating his path between the crowded buildings.

Hijikata could feel the blood pumping in his veins, the adrenaline spike as the sound of footsteps echoed behind him. Light but quick and unmistakably from the alleyway.

In a last ditch sprint, he threw himself forwards and found himself skidding to a stop on the edge of the pavement, just in time before he fell into the path of the busy traffic a mere half a metre away.

"_Ten_" A voice whispered in his ear, warm breath tickling his neck at the same time that Hijikata felt a rough shove between his shoulders. 

The force was so strong that it pushed him into the middle of the road, sending him stumbling into the middle of the chaos of oncoming cars.

"Shit!" 

A horn blarred, a bystander yelled for him to get out of the way as he narrowly avoided being run over by a van, rolling to the other side of the road before quickly scrambling to his feet to avoid another brush with death. 

He stumbled back onto the pavement on the adjacent side of the road where he glanced back wildly, eyes darting on every passerby in search of his attacker. 

No sign of the bastard could be found and after standing there for what felt like an eternity while his heart rate slowed down Hijikata decided to call it a night and go home. He wanted to convince himself that the voice in his ear was nothing more than his own imagination but the warm breath on his neck was definetley real. He could still feel the force of how hard the man had shoved him between the shoulder blades. It wouldnt be a surprise if it bruised in the morning.

"What the actual fuck just happened?" He mumbled, tugging his soaked jacket tighter around him as he began to shiver under the shower of rain.

Drenched, cold and very much confused, Hijikata headed back to his apartment, unable to stop himself from glancing back every so often just in case the albino had decided to come finish the job.

Thankfully he arrived home in one piece half an hour later, the door slamming shut behind him as he slid down the door, his head lowering to rest on his knees.

Who was that man? What was he doing in that alleyway? Was his mind playing tricks on him? Was this another one of Sougo's stupid pranks?

The multitude of questions continued to build up and up until he let out a frustrated yell and pushed himself up off the floor. There was no use letting this get to him when he couldn't think straight. He would re-approach it tomorrow. Yes. that's what he would do. He would have a nice, dreamless sleep for once and wake up fully refreshed and able to look at it from a calmer, more relaxed point of view without instantly assuming he was going insane. 

After double checking his door was completely locked, he proceeded to go through all of the rooms, closing every single window and eventually settling himself down on his bed after tossing his wet clothes to the floor. Screw it he would do the laundry tomorrow. Right now all he wanted to do was sleep. 

That night Hijikata slept more restlessly than usual, this time his reoccurring nightmares replaced by haunting visions of crimson stained lips and glowing red eyes.

_"Wake up Hijikata.."_

_"Come and find me"_

_"You cant deny the fate that brought us together"_

_"Find me Hijikata..."_


	2. Distraction and Denial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter should have been written a week ago but ya boi is suffering from writers block which is unfortunate since I just began this fic but Im doing my best to push through it and continue writing my story for yall. Anyways for this chapter, a minor time skip from friday- monday has occured since Hijikata deserves some character development before hes subjected to any more demonic ordeals and its also much longer than the first chapter.

_"When a man finds no peace within himself, it is useless to seek it elsewhere." F.R_

Alarm clocks really were the bane of human existence.

Those arrogant red block numbers serving as a painful reminder that Hijikata had completely forgotten to set his usual alarm and was now at least an hour late for work.

What a great start to a brand new week.

Cursing under his breath, he dragged himself out of bed and threw open the blinds, greeting his room with a splash of warm light. The storm that had been raging for the duration of the weekend appeared to have finally cleared up and had left in its place a peaceful, cloudless sky, something that usually would put the raven in good spirits. But considering he was running behind schedule, the weather had no influence on him. 

It took Hijikata less than 10 minutes to get fully dressed, his uniform already hung up waiting for another days work in his closet. His usual outfit consisted of a formal getup; white button up shirt, black slacks and patent shoes matched with a tie of his choosing. The recent heatwave washing over the country meant he could forgo wearing his suit jacket for now, though he would still bring it along in case the heavens decided to open again. Making sure his wallet and phone were tucked safely in his pocket, Hijikata snatched up his keys and dashed out the door, locking it securely behind him. The raven exchanged his keys for his phone, long fingers quickly typing in the number for his work as he hurried along.

One ring. Two.

_"Good morning! This is the Shinsengumi headquarters how can I help you?"_

"Yamazaki its me you moron! Why do you never check the caller ID?! Tell Kondo-San that I'm going to be late this morning but I'm on my way now."

_"O-Oh Vice Commander! I can put him on the phone for you if you li-"_

"No. Dont bother him when hes busy, just deliver the message like I asked you to"

He snapped his phone shut and slid it back into his pocket, ending the conversation before the other could respond.

Having had no time for his morning cigarette, the raven was in a foul mood and soon the rest of his subordinates would be subjected to it too. 

Hijikata Toushirou was employed as the Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi police force, an elite group of police officers tasked with protecting Edo and its citizens as well as upholding general order in the city. The Commanding Chief of the force and one of his closest friends/guardian figure, Kondo Isou had taken him in during his teenage years and taught him everything he needed to know from self defense to enforcing justice and together, they had formed this band of diligent men dedicated to implementing the law on those who dared to defy it.

Despite having to reprimand them daily for their lack of discipline and acts of downright stupidity, he enjoyed his work and wouldn't trade it for anything less however infuriating some of his co-workers could be.

Speaking of which, there was no doubt Sougo was just waiting to give him hell as soon as he walked through those doors, this was just too good an opportunity for him to pass up.

And sure enough there he was in all his sadistic glory, smirking over at him with one leg planted firmly on the door frame as if to prevent him from entering the building. 

"Well well if it isn't Hijikata-San! And what time do you call this?" The brunette called sarcastically, holding up his phone in an attempt to humiliate him further. "Have a wild night last night did we?"

"Its none of your business! Now get out of my way before I beat you where you stand" The raven hissed, pushing roughly past him with such force that the boy stumbled backwards, almost losing his balance.

"Damn someone is cranky this morning, I'll take it you didn't get laid then?" 

Hijikata scoffed at his comment and walked down the corridor past the admission desk without giving his usual wave of greeting, far too irritated to bring himself to accustomed niceties. He knew better than to respond to Sougo's persistent efforts to taunt him since the only motive behind it was to get a rise out of him but it had still managed to rile him up. After throwing his jacket over his chair, Hijikata approached the door to Kondos office, knocking twice before entering in case he had company.

"Ah Toshi you're here!" Kondo beamed at him from behind his desk, setting down the papers he was holding to indicate for the raven to take a seat. "Is everything alright? its not like you to not be the first person to clock in"

Hijikata let out a long suffering sigh as he closed the door behind him and slid into the chair.

How he wished he could answer that question honestly.

Despite doing nothing but his usual routine of working out and a few household chores during the last few days, his mind kept lingering over _that_ incident. So much so that he had even returned to the alleyway in question the very next day and much to his confusion, found not so much as a hint of any foul play.

"Of course Kondo-San, I must have forgotten to set my alarm last night. It wont happen again"

Eyes coloured with a small hint of concern regarded him carefully as Kondo spoke again, no doubt watching for any sign that something was wrong.

"Toshi I've known you for a long time now, its obvious something has happened" The man paused, still holding the ravens cool gaze as he waited for a moment, "Is there something you want to talk about?"

Hijikata hated to be dishonest with anyone especially Kondo but there was no other logical option. If he were to talk about it Kondo would either believe him to be crazy or worse yet, take his word for it and confirm what he was still denying to himself.

"No, nothing happened, I promise I'm fine. Just a late night thats all."

A knowing half smile tugged at the corner of the mans mouth. He knew the raven wouldn't tell him easily so he would have to resort to other measures. "In that case I'm glad to hear it! You arrived just in time for your patrol shift with Sougo."

Hijikata groaned internally. Oh great. That was just what he needed. To be stuck with that insufferable brat all day long and on surveillance duty no less. However there was no point in arguing against it, that would do nothing but lead to Kondo placing him on desk duty for the day and the last thing Hijikata wanted was to go stir crazy being stuck inside all day.

"I'll be seeing you then Kondo-San" With a mutual nod of farewell, he headed back into the patrol room, grabbing his jacket and gun from inside his desk drawer before leaving.

If only he had his gun on him that night instead of opting to leave it at work while he was off duty, a mistake he would likely live to regret. 

Slipping a cigarette between taut lips, his mayonnaise shaped lighter flickering to light its end, he made his way out back to the patrol cars where Sougo was already waiting for him in the drivers seat of his car.

Today was going to be one hell of a long day. 

**************************************************

As evening rolled around, Hijikata's shift finally came to an end and after dropping the car _and Sougo _back at headquarters, he decided to head on home instead of hang around and go for a drink with the others. Kondo wouldn't mind since he could catch up with him tomorrow instead.

Thankfully his patrol had gone off without any issues despite being with Sougo. Sure he still made the odd sly remark here and there, but it seemed that even he could sense there was something not quite right with Hijikata and for once, decided to not irritate the life out of him.

The sky was slowly turning from light blue to grey as the sun descended. It was unlikely to get dark before he reached home, Hijikata was certain of it but still found his pace quickening in the direction of his apartment. Head down, eyes focusing on the flickering of the lighter between his fingers as he lit his 10th cigarette of the day and shoved it into his mouth, he found his mind was much more at ease that it had been that morning.

Finally, he could relax.

There would be no more stress for him to deal with until at least tomorrow.

Tonight he would do some laundry, iron his uniforms and then maybe take a trip to the private gym his apartment complex offered to its residents. Training was an important part of his lifestyle as well as a crucial part of his job. If he wasn't strict with himself in maintaining his health he had no right to enforce those same requirements on his subordinates. He was their role model after all and role models had to uphold a certain image, his being the perfect image of a police officer.

Up ahead the glow of traffic lights caught his eye. Red to green, green to yellow then back to red. He had to cross here, take a left and walk past the row of small apartments before he reached his own. There would be no taking detours today. Hijikata paused at the lights along with a number of others waiting for the signal they could cross safely. Cars flew by in rush hour traffic, flashes of black cabs and a myraid of other colours, blue, red, green, passed in his periphery. 

Looking up at the change of lights, the raven found himself caught in a staring contest with another pair of eyes as they locked on his face. The foreign gaze grew almost comically shocked and suddenly those eyes were too close for comfort. Hijikata took a step back, feeling unsettled by the close proximity of a stranger and found himself yelling in protest as he was grabbed by the shoulders and thrown backwards, straight into the wall of building behind him, cigarette falling to the ground in the process. All the air left his lungs in a rush at the sudden impact that left him coughing. This caused a few people to pause in the rush of movement to cast curious glances towards him but they soon returned to their own business.

"I know you!" The stranger said, surprise evident in their tone despite sounding dazed as though they had been the one randomly attacked. A male voice, Hijikata was sure he could recognise it but couldn't seem to place it. 

"And you decided to to tell me that by throwing me against a wall?!" Hijikata gasped, oxygen finally making its way back into his lungs as he reached out and shoved the person away from him back a few steps. "Who the fuck are yo-"

Whatever words Hijikata was about to say died immediately in his throat before they could even reach his mouth as he stared at the person standing a few feet away from him. A man around his age, lean but physically fit in appearance with a head of messy white curls. He was slightly taller in height to him but not by much, perhaps only a few centimeters.

But it was his eyes that seemed to keep him frozen in place.

Piercing red eyes stared intently into stunned blue as though searching for a reason why they recognised the face before them. The ravens heart skipped a beat in his chest as he finally placed where he had seen that face before. 

"You're the bastard from the alley..!"

That had sounded better in his head than it did when it left his lips. Hijikata instantly regretted saying them out loud but it was too late to take them back now. Silence fell over the pair, tension beginning to build between them with only the sound of the passers by cutting through it. 

"Tell me, am I the first guy you've said that to?" He grinned, his amusement growing further as Hijikata responded with a scowl. "Yes that would be me, and you're the one who interrupted" The albino clicked his tongue in mock disapproval before resuming to smirk at him. "But you played my game and managed to out run me so I guess I have to stay true to my word and let you go".

Hijikata blinked in disbelief as the other winked at him. This small action was enough to bring back the irritation he had felt all day in the form of a menacing glare. "Your game? What fucking game?!"

"Like I said, you ran" The man shrugged nonchalantly, not appearing to be at all intimidated by the ravens threatening display. "Not many people find the strength to do that. Your will power is stronger than most" He added, extending a hand to him. "I'm Sakata Gintoki but you can call me that bastard from the alley if it makes you feel better" 

Once again reacting with anger, Hijikata slapped the hand away and began to dust himself off, picking up his jacket that had been knocked out of his hands.

Did he seriously think it was appropriate to introduce himself so casually given the circumstances?!

Even if he didn't include what had occurred that night, it was clear the other seriously lacked social skills or he was simply a fucking idiot. Perhaps both.

"Well you seem braver now than you were before" The man, Gintoki apparently, said through a light hearted laugh. "I take it you're not going to tell me your name?"

"And why the fuck what I do that?! I dont even know you and you're a murderer!" The raven snapped, slipping a hand into his jacket pocket, his palm wrapping around the cool metal barrel of his gun. He didn't want to cause a scene by taking it out in the middle of a busy street but, he had to be prepared if the albino tried to play another one of his sadistic games with him.

"Touché there but at least I asked nicely" The man argued in a disappointed tone. "Anyways, I was right about knowing you wasn't I? I have amazingly good instincts you see" He stated proudly as though it was something worth gloating about.

Hijikata found himself struggling to place this man as the same one he saw in the alleyway. His stance was completely different besides the laziness, nothing at all about him screamed killer yet he knew it was far too much of a coincidence that Gintoki happened to know of the incident _and_ looked exactly like him.

"I dont give a damn about your instincts!" To hell with causing a scene, he'd had enough of this twisted banter. The raven took out his gun and pointed it at Gintoki's forehead, prompting a surprised expression to wash over the albinos face. "You're under arrest for murder, you have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be held against yo-" As fast as it had taken for the raven to take it out, the gun had disappeared from his hands and Gintoki along with it. 

"So you're a police officer huh? Wow you're much more interesting than I thought" A voice stated from behind him, causing the raven to quickly spin on his heels to face the man now standing on the other side of the street, smirking as a pale finger twirled his gun in circles. "I can do this all night" The man teased, walking towards the shocked police officer to hand back the gun.

"Hell no I'm not interested in anymore of your damn games!" Hijikata hissed snatching the gun out of his hands and quickly shoving it back into his jacket pocket. 

From the amused yet wary look on Gintokis face, the man had noticed the others agitation. It wasn't enough to discourage him though. If anything, Gintokis grin turned challenging

"Giving up so easily?"

No matter how he looked at it, there wasn't a scenario where Hijikata could successfully arrest him if his speed was anything to go by. 

Letting out an exasperated sigh, he leaned his shoulder against the wall. "Just tell me what the fuck you want" 

"Huh? I dont want anything, I was just saying hello to someone I know" Gintoki began to laugh suddenly, seemingly taken aback by the ravens demand. 

"Just saying-" Hijikata cut himself off, somehow resisting the urge to punch him directly in that smug face of his. "I dont believe you, just saying hello my ass! You're nothing but a fucking murderer!"

"Be quiet" Gintoki mummered softly, his smile unwavering as those ruby red eyes scanned the passers-by. "This isn't the kind of place to talk about that"

That was a confession as good as any but there wasn't a thing Hijikata could do about it for now. He straightened his shoulders, steely eyes narrowing. "I'm not going anywhere with you" 

If nothing else, Hijikata's response only served to amuse Gintoki further. "Oh really? Why's that?" The albino leaned closer, his tone quickly changing from playful to flirtatious as he placed his arm beside the ravens head. "Do I make you nervous?" 

Feeling slightly flustered, Hijikata took a step back, masking the colour rushing to his cheeks with a look of disgust. "Don't flirt with me and answer my damn questions! Did you really kill that guy? What were you doing in that alley?"

"All these questions and we dont even know each other. How about we change that and you can buy me lunch and I'll tell you what you want to know?" 

This guy was impossible. Just when Hijikata thought he was getting somewhere, that Gintoki would actually give him a solid lead he started flirting with him. Fucking _flirting_. Unable to think of a way to respond, Hijikata settled for the first thing that came to mind.

"Its 6pm, its too late for lunch" He could hardly call that a counter but he went with it anyway, gesturing to the darkening clouds above them.

Glancing up, Gintoki hummed in acknowledgement, never losing the air of amusement around him that seemed to cling to him like a bad smell. "Ah I guess you're right, how about dinner then?"

A vein twitched in his forehead, the ravens icy blue orbs narrowed into angry slits. "Bite me!" 

"Don't tempt me" 

There it was again, that amorous tone causing a shiver to run down his spine. 

"At the very least you can buy me a drink before we go into the dirty details of that mishap"

Hijikata truly had never encountered anyone with this level of stupidity in his life. "Mishap?! That's not what I would call you having your teeth in a person!"

"In my defense I thought I was alone"

_"How does that make it any better?!"_

"Hush..." Gintoki responded gently, reaching out a finger to cover the ravens lips. 

Of course Hijikata didn't let him get that far. He abruptly slapped the hand away, finding it increasingly more difficult to resist the urge to beat the hell out of him.

Calm down, he told himself. Violence would get him nowhere especially from someone who's sadism appeared to rival that of Sougo's.

If only he could get him alone, then maybe he could kick some answers out of him.. 

It was then that Hijikata glanced around them, noticing that there were significantly less people around now that the sky had almost turned to complete darkness. It was getting late and so the crowd had slowly thinned as people headed home, leaving only a few people passing by them.

"What are you looking for?"

A surge of adrenaline shot through his veins as his attention was snapped back to the albino, not failing to notice how quick he had been in clocking his surveying of the street,

"I think we're done here"

Oddly enough, Gintoki gave a dejected frown, amused grin falling away in the form of disappointment. "I'll take that as a no to the drink then?" The raven glared at him as he began to walk away, opting to keep his gaze straight ahead to avoid the urge to turn back around. 

"It was nice seeing you again after the fun we had last week! Lets do it again sometime~!" The albino called loudly after him, attracting the attention of the few people walking past.

If he ever saw that man again he was _definitely_ going to kill him.

Clenching his fists, Hijikata stopped for a moment, held up his hand and flipped Gintoki off before quickening his pace to put some distance between them.

He half expected the albino to follow after him but it seemed he really was staying true to his word and the only sound to be heard after he rounded the corner was his own footsteps against the pavement. The urge to run was hard to ignore but he managed to keep a steady pace until he reached his front door. The second the raven was inside the building however he dashed up the stairs, not bothering to wait for the lift, fished out his keys and as soon as he was safely inside he locked the door.

Panting, he made his way over to the couch and threw himself down face first onto the cushions.

"There really must...be something wrong with me..." The raven managed to voice out loud between breaths.

Despite everything that had transpired, it didn't take long for Hijikata to regain his composure and soon he found himself down at the gym as planned, taking out his frustration on the grey punching bag that hung from the ceiling. For every hit he told himself that it was nothing but a coincidence he had run into Gintoki again, that his overly tired mind had tricked him into thinking the albino had managed to take his weapon from him without realizing.

That still didn't explain what he had caught him doing on Friday night. 

He considered calling his brother Tamegorou and telling him what happened, but he wasn't sure he was ready to deal with the consequences of opening up to his older sibling since Hijikata knew he would just insist on coming over right away and he was too exhausted by it all to go into the gritty details.

After a quick shower in the communal bathrooms, Hijikata turned out the lights and headed back upstairs, making sure the door was locked tight behind him for the second time that night and went to bed, for once sleeping without any nightmares or images of glowing red eyes plaguing his dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case yall havent noticed, my writing style changes alot and is vvv inconsistent so I hope you all still enjoy the chapters even if they arent as detailed as others!! anyways thats it for this week! I'll try to actually stick to my schedule this time and have another chapter updated next week! 
> 
> Toshi c:


	3. Fate and coincidence are one of a kind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is gonna be slightly shorter since the next will most likely be my longest yet given whats about to happen between our two favorite angsty bois >:D

_"The thrill is in the chase, never in the capture" A.C_

If Hijikata thought it was going to be as simple as having a good nights rest and telling himself that everything would return to normal, he couldn't have been more wrong.

Not two days later, while he was out taking a walk to the store, he ran into that red eyed bastard _again_.

It was a Wednesday, a day he would usually be at work, diligently dealing with the general public's _and sougos_ idiocy. However Kondo-san had forced him to take the day off since he had neglected to take his assigned day off last week. So there he was, dressed in dark jeans, sneakers and a black v neck shirt on his way to pick up some more cigarettes. The pleasant weather appeared to be continuing for the rest of the week. The sun beared down on the city, illuminating the surrounding buildings in a golden hue with only the slight hint of a breeze, blowing warm air through the long strands of his hair.

Just when he thought the day was turning out to be an uneventful but peaceful day, Hijikata caught a glimpse of something gleaming in his peripheral vision and turned around...and lo and behold, there was Gintoki.

It seemed the albino was enjoying the sun, sitting with his legs spread over a public bench across the street and sipping on what looked like some kind of toxic looking green slushy. Still not quite able to comprehend running into such a character for the _second_ time, Hijikata found himself unconsciously making his way over to him. It wasn't that he wanted to talk to him again...more like his legs developed a mind of their own and tapped into the repressed anger and confusion he still felt from being unable to arrest him those few days before.

It was him alright. He was reading some popular comic he'd seen before; the brightly coloured book lay open in his lap, a pale hand holding one side down to prevent the pages blowing over. Gintoki didn't seem to notice him for a moment, too engrossed in the black and white images of what looked like a samurai being beaten up by a giant mutant looking dog. Finally sensing someone standing over him, Gintoki glanced up. Eyes that seemed more red than any natural colour in the shade of Hijikata's shadow flickered up curiously and almost glanced back down again. But after snapping back into the real world from comic book land, recognition sunk in and left the man staring in shock up at a scowling Hijikata. 

What felt like several hours but was mere seconds passed between them, long and silent as the two continued to stare at each other, unable to form any words to convey their shared perplexity. Gintoki was the one to break the spell first, laughing in disbelief as the straw slipped from his mouth and a slow grin curved against his lips. 

"Three times in a week?" The albinos eyes flicked back up as he slapped the comic shut, his voice taking on a playful tone. "You're not abusing your powers as a police officer to stalk me are you?"

"I have better things to do with my time than to chase after a narcissist!" Hijikata scoffed. 

"Yet here you are" Gintoki perked up further, straightening his lazy posture as if to make space for Hijikata on the bench, an offer he was _not _about to accept. "Does our "coincidental" meet up finally give us common ground?"

"Absolutely not" Hijikata denied immediately, still scowling. "Your social skills are still lacking I see" He retorted, tapping his foot impatiently against the pavement. "And tone it down with the flirting before I get romantic whiplash."

The albino just shrugged, not at all affected by the others downright surly demeanor or intimidated in any form. "I'm nothing if not honest about my feelings. Arrest me." He said with a wink, holding out his wrists much to Hijikata's disgust before a sly smile crept over his lips. "How about you? Are you _sure _you're not following me?" 

Hijikata stared, feeling his patience running thinner by the second. "Don't flatter yourself you freak I'm just unlucky having to be in your unwanted presence once again."

That comment finally got a reaction other than flirting out of Gintoki. 

Narrowing his eyes, his shoulders slumped a little as he pouted. "You're the one that approached me first ya know, I did nothing but sit here being a good citizen and now I'm being harassed."

Hijikata continued to glare, face unchanging and utterly unconvinced by this poor attempt at innocence. After a moment of silence, Gintoki leaned forward to catch the straw in his mouth again, deliberately taking a long, loud slurp of the disgustingly sweet looking beverage before nodding to himself in a cumbersome fashion.

"Sooooo..." He began, drawing out the word as he sat back against the bench, "_Now _will you buy me lunch?" The flirtatious yet hopeful tone had returned, those piercing ruby red orbs failing to conceal the eagerness behind his words as he waited for a response. 

Surprisingly, Hijikata didn't immediately decline his request. Instead he paused to give it some thought.

Of course it still seemed as ridiculous as it had the first time around the man had asked him given the circumstances...but it seemed, as much as he didn't want to admit to fate being a real life occurrence, the universe just wouldn't let them be apart for longer than a few days and he would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't curious about Gintoki. The albino most likely had a few questions of his own for him as well. Maybe if they both sat down and cleared things up, it would bring him the clarity he so desperately needed to continue with his own life without anymore lingering confusion. 

"I must be as insane as him" Hijikata thought to himself. With a sigh, he stepped to the side, snubbing out his cigarette on the trash bin nearby before flicking it into the bin. 

"Looks like its your lucky day permhead. Third time's the charm, right?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before yall call me out in the comments (as I deserve) I know this is hella late but pls direct your rage for lack of ginhiji content towards my writers block that had my ass stuck on a sentence for almost 2 months,,,can we have a big f in the chat,,,but it seems to have gone now so maybe ill be able to stick to regular upload times of uni doesnt have me by the ass everyday *insert praying emoji here* 
> 
> Until next time,
> 
> Toshi c:


	4. A date with destiny is too cliche

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Ya boi is back with an early AF update for Ginhiji day!! I couldnt wait to start this chapter so I thought why not make this my contribution to the celebration of our fave angsty bois <3

_“I don't know where you're going but do you got room for one more troubled soul?” P.S_

This was an awful idea.

Hijikata watched an overly enthusiastic Gintoki over the rim of his pure black coffee, trying to figure out what his rational mind was thinking when he agreed to this. The pair were currently sat inside a reasonably busy, French style cafe after the albino had spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to decide where to go and had finally settled on this place after Hijikata threatened to leave if he didnt choose within the next five seconds. They had chosen a booth situated in the back of the cafe, far in the corner out of earshot so as not to be heard by the other diners. Like Hijikata, Gintoki had decided to dress casually enough that neither of them looked suspicious. It was a good enough cover to stay incognito; to others they probably looked like two close friends hanging out together or worse, potential dates. Scowling at the thought, Hijikata decided he could deal with the curious stares and friendly smiles from the staff who assumed he and Gintoki were a couple as long as he got the answers he was looking for. 

Even though he had been so eager for Hijikata to accompany him for lunch, Gintoki took his sweet fucking time ordering something from the menu. It was as though he had never been in an establishment like this let alone dined with someone else. He kept staring at everything around him like an excited child; the people sitting near them, the staff bustling around, civilians passing by even the clouds drifting by out the window. But he also caught the albino not so subtly staring at him when he thought he wasn't watching, a glance here and there over the menu or when he was done people watching. It was unnerving to say the least since it wasn't a curious gaze. The look he was receiving reminded him of the way an animal would watch its prey right before it moved in for the kill and Hijikata didnt like it one bit. 

"Are you going to order something or should I just order something for you since you seem incapable of reading a menu"

That caught Gintoki's full attention. Ruby red eyes shot back instantly, the hint of carnality fading to a confused yet slightly annoyed expression as though he couldn't figure out if the others offer was serious or not. 

"I'm not illiterate for your information, I just cant decide what to order since everything look so _good_" He whined childishly, prompting Hijikata to lose his patience and snatch the menu off him, hitting him across the head with it for good measure much to Gintoki's surprise.

"Ow! What was that for?! Shouldn't you know assaulting people is illegal!"

"So is wasting a police officers time! So unless you want to find yourself in cuffs and in the back of my car, hurry up and order something!" 

"A promising offer but we can save that for after lunch" Hijikata grimaced at his response, saying nothing as the albino lazily grinned and folded his arms across his chest.

"You dont have to be so grouchy ya know, that's not the way to behave when you want something out of someone" Gintoki added as that damn flirtatious smirk crept back onto his lips.

Letting his annoyance get the better of him was far too easy when Gintoki seemed to know _exactly_ how to push his buttons. But, Hijikata knew he was right as much as he loathed to admit. He had to keep his anger in check if he had any hope of prying answers out of him.

Once he had them however, he was free to act how he pleased.

"Fine, just order something already" Hijikata sighed, flicking the menu back towards Gintoki. "That is why we came here" 

"I thought we came here so you could interrogate me?"

Hijikata sat back against his chair, feeling the warm rays of the afternoon sun seeping warmth through his clothes.

"No, we came here to talk. If I wanted to interrogate you I would have taken you to the police station" He corrected matter of factly, crossing his legs under the table into a more comfortable position. 

Picking up the laminated sheet, Gintoki snorted as he twirled the thin card between his fingers. "That's very bold of you to say when you couldn't even arrest me" 

"Would you just shut up and pick something before I do it for you!"

Gintoki made a face as he read over the selection, a look of displeasure slowly replacing the grin on his face. "This isn't really the kind of food I like"

The raven haired man scoffed, giving the other the blankest look he could muster. "Really now? I never would have guessed. I doubt they serve human here but maybe we could as-."

"I wouldn't say that so loudly if I were you" Gintoki interrupted, leaning forward so suddenly that his face was now resting inches away from Hijikata's. "It could be dangerous if anyone overhead us"

Similar to their encounter in the street, the albinos demeanor had changed so fluidly from friendly to minacious in a split second that it caused a shiver to run down Hijikata's spine as he slid back in his chair to put some distance between them.

"I'm just going to order something for you otherwise we're going to be here all day" The raven said nonchalantly in an attempt to mask the faint hint of nervousness he felt.

"I wouldn't mind that but sure go ahead since you're in such a hurry"

Thankfully, Gintoki was back to normal, idly leaning against his chair with that oh so familiar look of amusement on his face and for that Hijikata couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit of relief.

"Stop looking at me like that" Hijikata demanded, stretching in his seat.

He hadn't failed to pick up on the way the albinos gaze followed each of his movements or how it lingered on his exposed midriff as he stretched, almost like he was studying him.

"Like what?" Gintoki asked, feigning innocence.

The ravens eyes narrowed as he rolled his right shoulder a few times to loosen the muscle where it had become tense. "You know exactly what I'm talking about! Just stop with all the staring and shit this isn't a date"

He should have predicted the way Gintoki would react to the mentioning of a date. His eyes immediately brightened, keen with interest.

"What else would you call it then?" He asked, tone filled with suggestiveness.

"Anything other than that" Hijikata waved a hand sternly at him, brushing away his attempt to flirt yet again. 

Of course Gintoki did not take this rejection well and slumped back into his chair, looking disappointed for a moment before he seemed to recover.

"A_ potential_ date it is then" He winked, letting his head fall sideways to rest against the wall beside him.

"Shut up already" Hijikata rolled his eyes, lifting a hand to wave a waitress over.

"Hello Sirs" She greeted warmly as she reached their table, a notepad and pen already in hand to take their orders. "I'm Emily and I'll be your server today" 

"Hello Emily" Gintoki greeted, smiling flirtatiously from where he sat. "How are you doing?"

The girl blushed a little, clearly taken back by the albinos over zealousness. "I-I'm very well thank you" She giggled before turning to Hijikata. "Your friend seems nice" 

"Oh yeah absolutely, hes a _real_ charmer" Hijikata scoffed, repulsed by how quickly Gintoki had managed to reduce this girl to a flushed mess. 

"Unlike someo-hey!" Gintoki protested as a foot connected directly with his shin under the table, delivering a sharp painful blow that left him clutching his leg.

For the first time that day, a small smile found its way onto Hijikata's face as he watched the others over exaggerated display, completely unfazed when Gintoki glared at him and attempted to get revenge by kicking him back. The waitress seemed to find their exchange incredibly amusing, glancing between them both as she asked for their order.

Hijikata straightened his posture, moving his legs out of reach from the albino who was still trying to land his own attack. "Yes I'll have the crepe cake with coffee cream and he'll have...the strawberry parfait" The raven shot a glare at Gintoki, ignoring him as he stuck his tongue out in response and handed the menu over to the server.

Emily gave a nod and tucked the menu under her arm, scribbling their orders on her notepad "And would either of you like drinks with that?" 

"I'll have another black coffee and...Oi permhead what do you want?" 

At the mention of his name, Gintoki finally abandoned his attempt to get even and leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table, brows furrowed in confusion as if he didn't understand the question. "Uhhh...I dont know?"

Was he for real? Or was this clueless act just another endeavor of his to appear innocent?

Rolling his eyes, Hijikata turned his attention back to the server. "He'll have a hot chocolate" 

Gintoki didn't seem to care that his chance to choose his beverage had been taken from him, he was too busy staring creepily at the waitress who hadn't appeared to notice the glistening red eyes tracing her every movement.

The girl laughed at the comment and wrote down the drinks "I'll be back soon with your order please let me know if there's anything else you need in the mean time"

Gintoki's gaze snapped back to Hijikata as the waitress walked away; waiting till the other was looking at him before narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "Why did she laugh like that? Did you insult me somehow?"

With a smirk, Hijikata shifted in his chair. "I bought you a child's drink since you're acting like one" 

"You did say you would order for me" The albino huffed, flicking a strand of stray white hair away from his eyes. "Well it could've been worse" 

"Well aren't you optimistic"

Gintoki grinned at him and Hijikata shook his head. How one person could go from being so incredibly creepy to; dare he say, full of playful friendliness so instantaneously with such ease was starting to give him a headache. 

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Hijikata shuffled closer to the table. "Anyway, we came here to talk so I'll start"

"By all means, go ahead" Gintoki agreed, waving his hand in encouragement.

Every time Hijikata mentioned anything referencing the incident in the alleyway, Gintoki responded coldly and that wouldn't provide any answers. If he were to go that route and push him too hard then the other might end up downright refusing to answer his questions so he had to approach this carefully an-

"Did you kill that person in the alley?" He asked bluntly, not missing a beat as Gintoki's red orbs flickered up immediately to fixate on his own.

Way to go with the subtly Toshi.

Gintoki didn't respond immediately. Instead he smirked, sitting back in his seat to inspect his nails. "Hm..are you sure you wanna know the answer to that?" 

"Obviously? otherwise I wouldn't have asked" Hijikata stayed rigid, eyes narrowed slightly at the albinos cockiness.

"Then yes, I did" Gintoki answered casually without so much as a hint of remorse. "I killed them, does it make you feel better hearing me say it?"

There it was, the admission that Hijikata had been looking for. It was _right_ in front of him and so was the opportunity to apprehend him.

Though he knew it wouldn't be as simple as that.

There was no rational way to explain Gintoki's arrest; given he actually managed to arrest him that is, when there was no physical evidence to support his claims. Binding his time seemed to be the most viable option for now. Wait for him to slip up somehow and give him something more concrete to go on. 

Pushing through the shock from Gintoki's sudden admission, the raven let out a long exhale before voicing his next question. "If that's true then..why did you linger there and risk being caught?" 

"That.." Gintoki paused as their waitress returned with their order, smiling and passing on his thanks before she scurried away again. Once they were alone again he continued. "Is another matter entirely" He muttered, his expression clouding over as he picked up a spoon and digged it into the sugary sweet dessert in front of him before suddenly grinning again. "Its my turn now" He stated, shoving an overfilled spoonful into his mouth. 

Hijikata blinked in confusion, not quite processing what he said. "But you didn't finish what you were say-"

"Stop right there!" The albino interrupted, playfully waving a finger as though scolding Hijikata for talking. "You said I could ask you things too so its only fair we do it in turns"

"Ugh fine but dont ask me anything weird and stop talking with your mouthful its disgusting" 

In a true display of immaturity, Gintoki leaned forward and opened his mouth to show the other the chewed up food resting on his tongue.

Hijikata grimaced and moved back as far as he could to show his disgust. "Do you not realise how repulsive you are?"

"What can I say? It comes naturally to me" Gintoki smirked, closing his mouth as he swallowed and shoved another spoonful of parfait into his mouth. "So my question is, are you really a police officer?"

  
"Why is that even important?"

"Because, naturally I'm still suspicious you might be stalking me since we have "coincidentally" ran into each other 3 times in one week. Don't ya think that's kind of odd?" Gintoki clarified, looking at his dessert as he idly stabbed at the parfait with his spoon. "This is amazing by the way, Ill be having these more often" 

Hijikata didn't understand why his job was so important to him. Other than the whole stalking accusations, there was something else behind Gintoki's line of questioning and he was going to pry it out of him before he confirmed anything.

"Listen, I dont know you either so why the fuck would I follow you?" He paused to have a small forkful of his own meal, sliding the cool dessert into his mouth before placing the spoon back down. "Secondly, you're accusing me of stalking yet ask me personal questions the first chance you get? If anyone is suspicious here its you and that's discounting our first encounter" 

The raven expected Gintoki to snap back with some witty retort, some form of rebuttal to counter argue with him, but he just nodded and pursed his lips. "I see"

It was unexpected but Hijikata was glad he didn't have to argue his case. Lifting his cup with one hand, he took a sip of his coffee. It would have tasted better with some mayonnaise in it but he didn't want to go through the trouble of asking for it now.

As he took a drink, Gintoki suddenly spoke again. "So just to clarify, you're not a priest right?"

Hijikata choked and spat out his coffee as he struggled to conceal his laughter at the mere idea. One hand quickly grabbed a napkin to cover his mouth, coughing out a short chuckle as he looked up to find Gintoki staring ludicrously at him. 

"Whats so funny?" The albino asked, dropping his spoon into the now empty parfait cup. 

"That you would even suggest that" Hijikata coughed, turning away to compose himself and clear his throat. 

"I take it you're not a man of god then?"

"I have nothing against religion but no I'm an atheist and yes dumbass I am really a police officer" 

"That's perfect then" Gintoki gave a strange smile in response and lifted a hand to rest against his cheek. 

"What do you do then?" The raven inquired abruptly, leaving himself wondering why he was even interested in Gintoki's personal life. 

"Well uh I dont really have a job" He seemed taken aback by Hijikata's question before shrugging it off and glancing out the window.

"I didn't think so since you were out lazing around in the streets like a freeloader during the day"

Of course this jibe prompted Gintoki to swing back around in his chair to throw a glare towards Hijikata.

"That;s hypocritical coming from you! What kind of deadbeat police officer goes for lunch on duty?" He retorted, his amusement only growing as Hijikata became agitated.

"Clearly I'm not working today otherwise I wouldn't have agreed to this! And who are you calling a deadbeat you moron!" 

Something resembling approval flashed in Gintoki;s eyes at the ravens response. "You're so feisty when you're angry I like it" The albino smirked, blowing him a kiss. 

"Cut it out already before I rip your tongue out" Hijikata hissed under his breath across the table.

"Feisty _and_ kinky?" Gintoki gave a low whistle, eyes brightening in silent laughter "Seems like I've hit the jackpot"

"Just shut the fuck up before I change my mind and leave" The raven muttered harshly, rubbing at his temple as if to calm himself.

"You can pretend you dont like my flirting all you want but I can see how flustered it makes you" Gintoki shot back, ever the smug smiling bastard. "Now, its your turn to ask something unless you _have_ changed your mind?" 

Hijikata let out a long suffering sigh, placing a hand over his forehead for a good minute before returning to resting both of his arms on the sides of his chair. In all of his life he had never met anyone more insufferable as Gintoki and that included Sougo. He was an idiot but he was also intelligent enough to use Hijikata's words against him.

It was infuriating to say the least. 

"Whatever, can I ask my question now or do you have some cheesy comment to make about my eyes or some shit?"

A short laugh carried across the table "No, do go on" A pause. " They are beautiful though"

Hijikata tilted his head in clear befuddlement. "What is?"

Leaning forward till half of his body was practically draped across the table, Gintoki met Hijikata's gaze. "Your eyes"

"For fuck sake-" Slightly flustered, the raven moved away and grabbed a knife from the table before holding it in front of Gintoki's face. "I will stab you with this if you flirt with me one more time" 

"Very kinky"

"Stop trying to make everything sexual you pervert! Just answer my questions and nothing more or I swear I will put this through your skull"

"Wouldn't that also make you a murderer?"

Hijikata didn't answer for a moment. Instead he just glared long and hard at Gintoki. This was getting him nowhere. He hadn't found out anything useful, in fact the only thing he had found out was just how angry he could get in the space of a few minutes. When he was certain he wouldn't go through with ending the albinos existence, he attempted his question again. "So, why were you in the alleyway?"

Gintoki had, in his words, been honest about his feelings and everything else up until that point. Now he was silent, his gaze looking anywhere but at Hijikata. He seemed to be in deep thought, probably deciding weather or not telling a police officer was the best course of action. Or perhaps he was just stalling for time to think up some ludicrous lie. Hijikata's scowl was quick to return when seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into ten and Gintoki still hadn't said a single word.

"Hello?" Hijikata said irritably, tapping a finger against the side of his chair. "Still alive over there? I don't have all day" He did in fact have nowhere else to be for the rest of that day but Gintoki didn't need to know that. 

"This isn't the easiest thing to explain so...you have to give me your word you won't react badly" 

That wasn't the response Hijikata had been expecting. He raised both his eyebrows at the albino, noticing how his attitude had swiftly changed to a more serious one and it was unnerving him already. 

"If I was going to react badly I would have done it back then" Hijikata scoffed.

Gintoki seemed satisfied by his answer but still didn't appear to be certain in his own approach. 

"Alright but dont complain when I tell you because it ain't pretty" The albino sucked in a deep breath and exhaled it back out again slowly before he continued. "I was there because I needed somewhere private to feed"

Red eyes stared at Hijikata closely the whole time he spoke, through each word that left his lips and the quiet that followed, he watched him. A tense silence fell over them as Hijikata processed what had been said. The quietness amplified every other sound around them, each clink of cutlery, every laugh and scrape of chairs against the hard floor seemed to echo and become ten times louder than before. The weight of Gintoki's words hung heavily between them, making it difficult for either of them to say anything.

"What..?" Hijikata managed to force out, his own voice sounding foreign to his ears.

"You heard me don't make me say it again" 

So many new questions were filling Hijikata's mind in that moment and it was impossible to keep them contained.

"Feed...What? You _ate_ that person?!" 

"Be quiet" Gintoki commanded, voice low and tone uncompromising. It was so unexpected that Hijikata did just that and sat back rigidly against his chair. 

The albino quickly glanced around them to make sure no one had caught an earful of their conversation before returning to his position of leaning on the table, a little closer to Hijikata this time.

"That's right." He confirmed casually. "Like I said its not something I can explain in words so...if you want to come with me somewhere more private...I can show you" 

"Are you fucking kidding?! You just told me you _ate_ a person, a human being and you actually expect me to come with you? Hell will freeze over before I agree to that!" 

Gintoki's smile returned, but his eyes still held the seriousness and sincerity his expression now lacked. 

"I like you" 

"You cant just say that..admit to murdering someone and start flirting again!" Hijikata spluttered in disbelief, barely able to string his words together.

"Calm down"

"_Calm down?_"

"That's what I said" The albinos unusual tone of authority had returned just like it had when he was talking before. "You knew what I did yet you still agreed to lunch with me so-" He cut himself off to cast a curious stare out the window before turning his attention back to Hijikata. "-Why are you panicking now? Its not like I'm going to attack you. You're safe here" 

Hijikata rolled his eyes for what felt like the millionth time that day. "Was that supposed to be comforting just now?! Your social skills are getting worse"

The albino hummed in amusement, eyeing Hijikata's unfinished dessert. "As you keep reminding me, yes I'm aware they need some work but hey give me a break I haven't done this before"

"What does that even _mean__?_ What haven't you done before? You better explain right no-"

"You're going to burst a vein if you don't chill out" Gintoki interrupted, the raven bristled at being cut off only to be laughed at in response. "I will explain it but first...feed me something"

"I already told you this isn't a fucking date so you can shove your spoon up your-"

"For a police officer you're not very perceptive are you?" Hijikata was about to snap back an insult when the other continued. "You're drawing too much attention we need to be more incognito" He grinned slyly, shifting closer to the table. "Try your best to make it look convincing otherwise we might get thrown out for having a public domestic".

Grimacing at the thought, Hijikata snatched up the spoon from his own plate and scooped out a portion of the crepe, holding it up in front of Gintoki's face. The albino seemed to be in his element as he leaned forward and slid his mouth over the spoon, gaze never leaving Hijikatas as he dragged the cake off the cool metal with his teeth.

"Now was that so hard?" 

"Tch"

"Don't be like that, you should really finish your crepe before I do its even better than I thought"

"Even if I wanted to I cant since my spoon has been in your disgusting mouth"

Gintoki scoffed at that. "I'm not diseased you asshold, geez"

"And I've to take your word for that?"

"Just use your knife, you seem to know how to use that to your advantage" Gintoki suggested, reaching a hand over to grab for it though Hijikata managed to beat him to it, quickly covering it with his hand to prevent the other from picking it up. "Back the fuck away from my cutlery and get back to explaining"

"Well you didn't react great but I suppose it wasn't as bad as it could have been" He stated, taking his sweet time to finish the piece of cake Hijikata had fed him before swallowing loudly. "You've probably realised that I'm not from around here and that's partly true. In a way I'm a foreigner who's here to learn your ways and to fit in of course. That part I'm finding rather...tricky, since I dont have a lot of information of your species sociability so interacting with you all sometimes doesn't go as smoothly as planned"

"No shit" Hijikata let out a dry chuckle.

Gintoki shot him a look but didn't give in to the bait. "I'm trying at least no need to be so judgmental" 

"By not from around here, what do you mean exactly?" Hijikata pressed, furrowing his brows as he tried to piece together all of the information Gintoki had provided. "I'm assuming it has something to do with why you were doing..that, in the alley?"

"What? Eating that person? That's right, their both connected! You're smarter than I thought. I like a man who can connect the dots" Gintoki grinned, reaching over to take the remaining piece of Hijikata's cake with his hand and quickly popping it into his mouth before the other could stop him.

Hijikata shook his head slowly, not even bothering to reprimand him "You really have no boundaries do you?" 

"Hm, I wouldn't say that but I suppose mine aren't as profound as yours" Gintoki observed him carefully with one hand rested under his chin to hold up his head. "I have a feeling you dont mind me bending yours as much you say you do" 

Hijikata paused and took a long sip of his coffee "I'm not interested in flirting with you or any form of romance so you should stop trying"

Instead of being discouraged by this revelation, Gintoki only seemed to be more intrigued by him. "Now why would I do that? I do enjoy a challenge after all" 

"Pffft good luck with that, maybe I'll just walk out of here and we'll never see each other ever again" Hijikata smirked, thinking he had successfully demotivated him but it instantly backfired when Gintoki reached across the table and grabbed hold of his arm, pulling him closer so their faces were mere centimeters away from each other.

"Be honest with yourself, is that what you _really _want?" 

Drawing in a shaky breath, Hijikata found himself meeting the others gaze and for a moment he felt as though everything else had fallen away, the world around him seemed to blur out of focus more and more before he managed to snap back into reality and pull away from Gintoki's grip. 

"That depends, are you going to tell me who.._what _you are?" 

The albinos next smile was different than the ones from before. This one was more sinister, still playful but not in the same way as his previous expressions.

"You're asking the right questions now" 

Hijikata narrowed his eyes, waiting for him to continue "Are you going to tell me or not?"

"Yes but another time, I think I've told you enough for now"

With that, Gintoki stood up, pushed his chair underneath the table and slowly began walking away.

Hijikata stared in bewilderment for a few seconds before realizing the albino was actually leaving "Oi where the hell are you going?!" 

"Lets finish this conversation another time, maybe then you'll tell me your name" After giving him one last lazy smile, Gintoki turned on his heels and disappeared out the door before Hijikata managed to voice so much as a hint of protest. 

Despite them leaving on relatively better terms it was difficult to feel at ease, given the confession had just left him with even _more_ questions and confusion. However, judging by Gintoki's parting words, the man clearly wasn't done with him so perhaps those answers would be provided the next time they ran into each other whenever that would be.

As for his name, well, if it meant Gintoki gave him what he wanted then maybe he wouldn't mind sharing it.

After finishing his coffee he too left the cafe and headed off, this time stopping by the park on the way there to watch the clear water rush over the rocks in the river as he thought about the events of that day.

Once home, he immediately showered, remembering the workout he had done that morning before becoming preoccupied. Once clean, he did a few household chores; changed his sheets and hung them out to dry before fixing himself a simple dinner of ramen with extra mayonnaise. As he sat at the table with his last cigarette lit between his fingers, he suddenly remembered in all the excitement he had forgotten to pick up his cigarettes.

"Fuck" He muttered under his breath, throwing the now empty box into the bin.

Not wanting to go back out, he decided instead to leave earlier to pick up a few packs on his way to work tomorrow. If he ran out of time he could always force Yamazaki to go get some for him. Once his meal and cigarette were finished, Hijikata packed the dishes into the dishwasher, wiped down the bench and began readying himself for bed. It was still early but he was feeling unusually weary and figured sleep would restore his usual energy. 

Laying there beneath black sheets, Hijikata thought about Gintoki. They hadn't established another time for them to talk or even exchanged details, yet Gintoki was so adamant that they would see each other again despite all their previous encounters being accidental.

Or perhaps they weren't?

Maybe today truly was the last he would ever come across those intriguing ruby red eyes?

Those thoughts ran through the ravens mind as he drifted off, once more into a dreamless yet peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my longest chapter yet at 5,000+ words and took me several hours *coughs all night *coughs* to write but Im happy with how things are progressing and I hope you all are too :D
> 
> Until next time,
> 
> Toshi c:

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all are enjoying the story so far! 
> 
> Pls leave some kudos if you are i'll really appreciate it <3
> 
> Until next time! Thank you for reading the first chapter of my story. I hope you will all stay with me for the wild journey Ill be taking our fave boys on.
> 
> Toshi c:


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